What We Hold Dear
by Tay-21
Summary: Disaster strikes at an anomaly and Abby is determined she will not lose what is most important to her-her family. They'll live together or they'll die together, but she will not be separated. Please Read and Review. Merry Christmas


**Disclaimer: ** **Disclaimer: Primeval and its characters belong to Impossible Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**A/N: Written for the ConnorAndAbby Community on LiveJournal for Evenstar_Estel. Her prompt was **_Abby's always seemed like the tough girl who could always take care of herself and never needed to rely on anyone. When Connor's taken by a creature she realizes that he means everything to her and she loves him deeply. She sets out on a one woman mission to save her man! Probably set pre-relationship, so series 1-3. (Wouldn't say no to smut.) _**I tweaked it a bit to be a post series 5 fic. Enjoy, and as always please read and review. **

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><p><strong>What We Hold Dear<strong>

Connor felt the powerful jaws snap down on his arm and heard before he felt the bone snap under the great pressure. Pain so hot it felt almost numb rushed through his body. The other creature moved in for the kill then, and another set of large teeth clamped down on his leg, snapping the two bones in his lower leg at the same time. The pain was so great he couldn't even scream. The two creatures played tug of war with his body as they jerked and dragged him towards the anomaly. What would happen to him now?

He felt the metal on his key ring and necklace begin to pull towards the anomaly and he knew it was almost over. His life would end violently in the past and he'd never see Abby again, there'd be nothing to bury, no daddy for his son or daughter to know. He'd only just found out about Abby's pregnancy yesterday. Yesterday. Had it really been less than 24 hours? Was it a boy or a girl? He'd never know.

_I'm sorry Abby,_ he thought helplessly as he felt himself being pulled through the anomaly by the merciless teeth still battling for control of his body. He felt something smack hard into the back of his head. Through his blurred vision he caught sight of a rock that the creatures must have dragged him over. The last thing he saw before the pain forced him into unconsciousness was the anomaly swirling and pulsing, about to close.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!

*Two hours Earlier*

Abby smiled over at Connor. He was glowing, almost more than she was. It was their little secret. They'd not told anyone else yet, though she suspected that Becker and Matt may already have some idea and Jess certainly did. The two of them had played dumb every time anyone had hinted around at it though. They wanted to share this, just the two of them, for a little while longer.

Abby smiled to herself. Connor couldn't seem to get the huge silly grin off his face. Becker had even cracked a joke asking if he'd lost his virginity again. Abby had to fight to keep from caressing her tummy all the time. Soon, they'd be buried in booties, bottles, and nappies. She and Connor had scheduled a meeting with Matt and Lester for the following week. They were going to want an explanation when as to why they were both requesting to leave the field team. Connor was going to ask to stay on as a researcher and engineer and Abby was going to stay in the lab and the menagerie. At least, she was hoping that Lester would go for that. Neither of them wanted the other to be at risk once the baby was here.

Abby jumped as the anomaly alert sounded throughout the ARC. Connor looked up at her with a worried expression. He shook his head at her. She looked down at her hands; they were over her stomach again.

Connor walked over to her. "I don't want you to go. You need to stay here. It's not safe for you in the field anymore."

"Connor, I'd be a nervous wreck the whole time you were gone. That's worse for me than hanging around a locked anomaly."

"Something could go wrong. What if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing's going to go wrong."

"Please?" he turned the full force of his puppy eyes on her.

"Fine." Abby always had a hard time with the puppy eyes. Still a nagging fear nibbled at the back of her brain.

She watched the team load up and head out. She absently touched her hand to her still flat tummy. She wasn't even aware that Lester was standing at her side until he spoke.

"It's routine you know. He'll be back soon enough. You shouldn't worry. It's bad for the baby."

Abby sucked in a breath and looked up at him with a look of shock on her face.

"Come now, you don't think you two were really hiding anything do you?" Abby shook her head slowly. "Plus, I have three of my own children. I remember how I was when my wife told me I was going to be a dad for the first time. I had the same stupid grin that's been on Connor's face for the last several hours."

Abby smiled, but the little niggling feeling wouldn't go away. Her smile twisted and she looked back at Lester.

"Something's going to go wrong. I just know it."

"Abby, that's just your hormones giving you irrational fears. My wife had them too. She swore I was going to drive my vehicle right off a bridge every night on the way home."

"It's not irrational, Lester! Look at what we do. Connor and I have a special connection. We spent a year together as literally the only two people on earth. I know something's going to go wrong. I can sense it."

"Well, woman's intuition and all that. Follow your gut. He'll be Ok. We'll have Jess call them and warn them-"

"Not a chance! I'm going myself." And she was off.

"Wait, that's… Oh bugger!" Lester turned on his heels and headed for the main hub. One of these days he'd need to see if he could actually buy a little control in his life. Or people that would actually listen to him.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!

Abby checked out a vehicle from the motor pool and threw her gear in the boot. She'd get her comms on before getting out of the car, the same sense of urgency pressing in on her like an avalanche.

She knew Jess would be frustrated with not being able to raise her, but she just couldn't care. She raced to the anomaly site just outside London, hoping to beat them there, get Connor in her car and turn back around and get back to the safety of the ARC.

She prayed the whole way there that she was wrong. That this was just an irrational fit of hormones. She took the turns quickly and soon was on the road heading straight to the little homestead nestled back in the trees where the anomaly had appeared.

Abby grabbed her comm device and hastily turned it on before parking her vehicle. She hadn't beat them there. They were already trying to get the anomaly to lock but there was a problem.

"I can't lock it until that thing is either dead or back through!" she heard Connor hiss into his mic.

"Lock it damn it! We can't risk more coming through."

"I swear it's like this thing knows what we're trying to do. He's right smack in the way and I **can't** lock it!"

The hair on the back of Abby's neck prickled. Why were they whispering? She rounded the corner at the back of the house and tried to be very quiet. She saw Connor waiting with the anomaly locking device still in it's case and Becker and his men waiting with guns at the ready. What was going on?

The she heard it and a full chill swept through her body. The chittering, hissing snarl that dripped from the mouth of a future predator. Oh god! She froze where she was. This was stupid. Why were either of them here? Her and Connor should be back safe at the ARC, they had different priorities now. Why had they insisted on keeping this a secret?

"Becker, I've got back up in route," came Jess' voice over the comms. "Any sign of Abby yet? She should be there by now, as fast as her black indicated she was driving. She hasn't responded on Comms, but she should be there, right near you all. Abby saw Connor's head snap back, looking for her. He only took his eyes off the predator for a second, but it was enough. Their eyes met and in her peripheral vision Abby saw the predator no one even seemed to realize had been there come flying out of the tree line and smash into Connor with a vicious snarl.

She couldn't help herself as a scream tore from her lips. She ran towards Connor but the predator had his arm in its mouth and was dragging him towards the anomaly. The other creature that had been standing in front of the anomaly snapped at the other predator before clamping it's jaws down on Connor's leg. Abby felt like she was running in slow motion as she pelted towards where the two creatures were fighting over Connor whilst dragging him towards the anomaly.

Something suddenly wrapped around her and she would have been knocked off her feet were it not for the solid body that she was now pinned against.

"No, Abby! You can't! Are you crazy? Think of the baby."

"I am!" Abby screamed as she fought to free herself from Matt's restraining grasp.

Connor made a pained scream and then all was silent. He was gone, dragged through the anomaly by the predators.

"Let. Me. Go." Abby demanded evenly. When Matt didn't, she put her training to good use. She brought her booted foot down, grating across the front of his shin and straight down onto his foot. She planted her elbow into his solar plexus, winding him. He doubled over and she ran. The anomaly was starting to pulse. Oh no! She had one shot. She hoped her theory would work.

She stopped long enough to pick up Connor's EMD and fire at the throbbing anomaly. It seemed to stabilize a bit and she dove through it. She was not going to be a single mum! Her child **would** have his father. Connor had saved her life on numerous occasions. She wasn't about to lose him now. Not after all they'd been through.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!

Matt watched as Abby disappeared through the anomaly. He saw Becker start to run to the anomaly as well.

"Becker! Stop! That is an order!" Becker stopped, but the look he gave Matt was mutinous.

"I am **not** losing them again!" He took a step towards the anomaly.

"No. I know. Just wait for back-up. Please! You'll all be killed if you don't."

"You wait for back-up!" Becker stated and ran for the anomaly.

"Jess? Please tell the back up team to come and give us safe passage out. I'm going after my renegade team who all seem to have forgotten how to follow orders. Have them set the EMD's on high."

"Already done. They'll be there at your position in two minutes. They're on the access road."

"Thanks Jess. Wish me luck."

"Luck. Please bring them back." There was a slight crack in her voice. He knew she was worried about Becker. Those two were as bad as Connor and Abby had been, always dancing around each other. One of these days he'd have to smack their heads together.

With that thought he took a deep breath, readied his EMD and headed through the anomaly.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!

Abby gasped and spluttered as she took in a lungful of the horrid yellowish air. "Conn- Connor!" she cried whilst trying not to cough so much she couldn't call for him.

She heard the growls and the snarls coming from just on the other side of a small rise in the ground. She gathered her courage and went in search of her love. As she neared the top of the rise her vision blurred. She didn't know if she could handle the sight that was about to greet her. She looked down at her stomach and placed a hand over her tummy. Abby clenched her jaw and fire swept through her as she got angry. How dare they try to steal her happiness now! She held her head high as she marched up the last two meters of the rise.

Connor lay on the ground, blood soaked his shirt and his forearm and he lower leg. His hair was matted with blood that seemed to have pooled a bit where he lay, completely still. The two future predators were so busy trying to kill each other over their prey that they didn't even notice Abby.

Not until she screamed all her frustration at them and took aim with the EMD.

She fired and fired at the two predators and her yell did not subside until they were both dead on the ground and her EMD was out of power. She fell at Connor's side and pulled him to her. He was still warm. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she pressed her fingers to his neck.

Hope leapt up in her. He had a pulse. All was not lost. She kissed his forehead. "It's going to be Ok my love. You're going to be ok. Just stay with me. Ok? Stay with me.

She was just about to get up so she could start trying to get him to safety when she heard it again. The chittering and the snarling. She pulled Connor to her and looked the future predator in the eyes. She had no weapon, nothing to defend herself and her family with. At least they would die together. I'm sorry she breathed the to little life growing inside her. They hadn't even been able to protect it for the few weeks of its unborn existence. At least they were all together.

Just when the creature opened it maw and prepared to attack, Abby jumped as the predator suddenly jerked sideways and then took two more hits from Becker's EMD.

"Help me with him!" she pleaded as he ran the last few paces to where she knelt holding Connor to her.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!

It was just like he remembered. Matt coughed as the acrid burned smell of the future atmosphere assaulted him. He blinked against the stinging air and searched the landscape. Then he saw them.

Becker and Abby struggling with a clearly unconscious Connor between them and Abby's face streaked with tears; Even Becker's eyes looked unusually bright. Matt ran to them and quickly took Abby's place. She tried to resist but one look from him at her midsection and she relented.

"Abby go, we'll be right behind you. Now! You need to get out of this air. It's an order and this time I expect it to be followed."

Abby took one last glance at Connor, caressed his bloodied cheek and then turned for the anomaly about a hundred meters ahead.

When she reached the anomaly, the backup soldiers began to pour through. Abby pointed them in the direction of Becker and Matt and breathed a sigh of relief. Connor was pale and drawn, but he was breathing. That was what counted. She crossed through the anomaly back to her own time.

A stretcher was waiting and Tom Reardon, head ARC medic, smiled at her. "I'll take care of him, Abby. Don't worry. He'll be just fine. He bade her come sit in the back of the closest ARC vehicle where he quickly strapped an oxygen mask over her face. "At least ten minutes. No moving. Let me do my job with him and you, yes?" Abby started to protest and Tom touched her belly. "For the sake of the little one, don't even start." Reardon was the one member of the ARC who officially did know about Abby's pregnancy, as he'd been the one to actually determine that Abby was pregnant. A single tear trickled down her cheek and she nodded.

She watched anxiously as the ARC team along with Becker, Matt, and Connor all arrived safely back on this side of the anomaly. As soon as they were all through, one of the soldiers sealed the anomaly.

Connor was laid on the stretcher and Reardon got to work. Abby listened as he worked. He knew enough about the young couple to have positioned the stretcher close enough so that Abby could see and hear him. She'd have never obeyed him if he'd have tried to lock her out of his examination of Connor.

Reardon's hands flew over Connor's body, deftly finding every injury. He had a collar around Connor's neck to stabilize him and a few moments later Connor's left arm and right leg were also stabilized in splints and an IV had been inserted.

Abby watched as he worked silently to get Connor ready for transport. He glanced up and met Abby's wide eyes. "He's going to be fine. I'm most worried about that head injury, but I can't feel any fractures in his skull, we'll know more once we get him to hospital."

Abby nodded. Becker came to stand beside her. "I'll drive you to hospital, by then you should have fulfilled the doctor's orders with your oxygen." He kissed her temple. "I'm glad you guys are ok."

Abby pulled the mask back from her face. "Thank you." It was all she could manage.

Becker nodded and turned to go get in the driver's seat. He wasn't one for large emotional displays. Abby was grateful for that right now. There wasn't much keeping her emotions in check right now.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!

Within 5 hours, Connor had been put through multiple tests and scans to make sure he was OK. He did have a nasty cut on his head from it striking the rock, but thankfully no skull fractures. He'd lost a lot of blood from the head wound and the two massive bites that had broken his arm and leg.

Abby fussed over the casts and rigging that he was ensconced in. He was still hooked up to an IV, as he'd needed heavy antibiotics to combat anything from the "animal" bites.

The cast on his leg wasn't the permanent one he'd have for the next 6 weeks, but one designed to be removed while he was in the hospital so that they could keep an eye on the bites. The one on his arm went up almost to his shoulder and the one on his leg extended most of the way up his thigh.

He whimpered and tossed his head a bit. He hadn't been awake in hours. First being in shock and knocked out and then from all the pain relievers they'd pumped into him. Abby ran her fingers across his brow in an attempt to soothe him. He moaned slightly but seemed to settle at her gentle touch. She kissed him lightly on the lips.

"I love you," she breathed against them.

"Abby," he whispered. She watched to see if he would wake. His eyes fluttered and then opened. He smiled at her before registering his surroundings. "Abby!" he croaked. "Where am I? What happened? Are you OK?" Abby saw his eyes, unfocus and then focus back on her a moment later. "Predators! Are you OK. You weren't supposed to be any where near that anomaly site."

Abby put her finger over his lips. "Connor. Stop talking." He nodded against her finger. "Had I not gone to that anomaly site, you'd probably be dead. I couldn't live with that. So, I followed you into the anomaly and dragged your arse out of that hellhole, with the help of Becker and Matt of course. Next time, just lock the damn anomaly regardless of who or what is standing in front of it."

"Yes, ma'am." Connor stared at her and a tiny ghost of a smile played at the corner of his lips. "You're cute when you're worried."

"Don't start Connor. Look at you. You're in two casts with heavy antibiotics and painkillers running through your system. Do you really think you're going to get any? And you're in hospital."

Connor frowned and looked down at himself. "Damn predators. At least you're OK. Is the baby…"

"Yes, the baby's fine. However, apparently we weren't keeping as good a secret as we thought we were. Lester, Becker and Matt all know. And you know if Becker knows, then Jess will know by this evening. Apparently he lets a lot slip in pillow talk and we all know that Jess can't keep a secret. Emily will know by tomorrow and maybe even Jenny by tomorrow night."

Connor let his head thump back against the pillow. "Well, at least we had one day where it was our little secret." He suddenly hissed in pain.

"What? What is it, darling?" Abby asked with concern.

"Damn leg really hurts, and I can feel a bit of a headache coming on."

Abby smiled down at him. "Want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"Yes, please." Connor pleaded once again turning his puppy eyes on her.

"Men, you're all so pathetic when you're sick. One condition… Both of us are off the field team effective immediately." Abby flipped the blanket covering his leg back, revealing the top of his cast and his bare thigh. She pressed her lips to the skin just above the line of the cast. Connor hummed appreciatively. Her kiss lingered and she licked along the line where his thigh met his hip. She glanced up and giggled as she observed the tenting of the hospital sheets. Connor's pulse rose audibly in the room to the point that one of the alarms went off. Abby burst out laughing at Connor's frustrated look as she hastily grabbed a pillow and threw it over his lap to hide his erection on seconds before the nurse came in to check on him.

"Everything all right, Mr. Temple?" the plump red faced nurse asked?

"S'fine thanks," came Connor's slightly higher than normal reply. The nurse hovered around the machines and then pressed a few buttons to quiet the alarms. She turned and pulled back the temporary casting to check Connor's leg then repeated the procedure on his arm. They had been able to seal up everything with surgical glue and there would be minimal scaring. The nurse gave him another does of his pain meds and then left the room.

Abby smiled at Connor. "I think you've had enough excitement for one day. I'll let you sleep. I have to go make some calls to let the ARC know that you've woken but that you're resting comfortably now." Connor snorted at the last statement and muttered a very derogatory comment about hospital beds and comfort. "Then I'll be back. I think they're going to let you our of here sometime tomorrow evening once they're sure those bites aren't infected.

"What about you kissing and making it better?" he pouted.

"Rain check, until we get home. I promise to make it worth your while," she said temptingly.

Connor huffed. "Fine. I **guess** I can wait."

"There's a good man." Abby kissed him lightly again on his lips and then ran her fingers through his hair. He hissed when they passed over the tender spot where his head had been bashed against the rock. Abby kissed his temple. "Get some sleep, my love. The sooner you're better, the sooner we can go home."

Connor's eyes were already drooping from the added pain meds. "I love you. Thanks for coming after me."

"You've done the same for me."

Connor reached out his good hand and caressed Abby's tummy. "No more risks. For either of us."

"For either of us," Abby agreed.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!

Much to Connor's great frustration the doctors insisted on keeping him an extra night. He groused and pouted about it, but if the doctors insisted, then Abby demanded. She tempered the bad news by crawling into bed with Connor though and they had both slept much better in each other's embrace than they had the night before.

Late the following evening they gave the bites on his leg and arm a clean bill of health and put the permanent casts on his leg and arm. Abby sat next to him and held his hand while the long casts were put on.

It was almost 10pm by the time they got back to their flat Abby had helped Connor negotiate the stairs and doorway. He tried to head for the couch as it was the nearest place to stop and rest.

"On no you don't," Abby chided. "I promised to make being patient at the hospital worth your while. To the bedroom with you." She gave him a light and playful shove in the direction of the bedroom.

"Can't I just sit down for a second?" Connor whined.

"Well, you could… but," Abby pulled her shirt off and unhooked her bra, dropping it to the floor. "Then you wouldn't get these to play with." She cupped her breasts and gave then a squeeze. To Connor's shock and delight she leaned down and licked her own breasts. "You better come now, or I just might bring myself off without you."

Connor, despite barely knowing how to operate his crutches made it to the bedroom in record time.

"On your back," Abby ordered. "Get comfy and then I'll give you your reward." Abby helped Connor get himself situated on the bed. His leg and arm had to be kept elevated as often as possible. So most of the pillows, including some throw pillows from the living room were used for that.

Once he was settled, Abby slowly helped to divest him of the clothing he was wearing. She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it back, kissing the newly exposed flesh with each button. She pushed it back and ran her hands up and down his bare chest.

"Hmmmm… so good to have you back home." She undid the tie on the loose fitting, already tented sweatpants he was wearing. She pulled them down slowly, revealing his fully lengthened cock. Abby licked her lips and Connor's erection twitched as it finally sprang free completely from the confines of his trousers. Abby took the weight of it in her hands and gave him a squeeze.

"Oh, God! Abby! That feels so good. I want you right now." He shifted his position putting a little too much pressure on both his arm and his leg. "Ouch! Damn it!"

"Connor, love, looks like I get to be on top for the next few weeks." Abby smirked.

Connor pouted. "I like being on top. I love the feel of you beneath me." He literally had his lower lip sticking out, an opportunity that Abby was not about to let pass her by. She leaned forward and nibbled on his lip, his warm breath gliding over her.

"Shhhhh, let me take care of you. Just lay still and enjoy yourself. I promise I'll make it good for you." She kissed his eyelids, his nose and his cheeks before returning to his perfect lips. He nodded his agreement and let his head fall back onto the pillow. Abby finished pulling down his sweatpants and repositioned herself between his legs. She took his cock in one hand and palmed his balls with the other, gently rolling them in her fingers.

Connor moaned his appreciation of her technique. Abby once again leaned down and kissed the juncture of his hip and thigh, laving her tongue down the crease and toward her goal. Before reaching it though, she pulled back and repeated the kisses and licks to the other side of his body. Then, without warning she wrapped her lips around the head of his hard, leaking cock. Connor arched his back and gasped.

Abby rested her hands on his hips and pushed him back down to the mattress. She let his erection drop wetly from her lips. "No moving, doctor's orders. You're just supposed to enjoy. No strenuous activity." Abby smiled deviously at him. "If you can't comply, I might have to tie you down." Connor's cock twitched mightily in front of her eyes. "I'm going to have to remember that… Now be still," she ordered.

She descended on him again and began her slow tormenting pleasure of his body.

Within minutes, he was trying so hard to remain still under her careful ministrations that his entire body was shaking.

"Well, that's no good," Abby pouted. "Guess we'll just have to go all out." Abby leaned forward and whispered into his ear, her lips tickling the outer shell and once again making him shiver as she spoke. "Just relax, Conn. Let me take care of you. Just be still and **feel** us, nothing but us. You and me against the world, right?"

Connor nodded and she felt him relax under her. She took his erection in her hands and straddled his hips as she guided him into her. She released a breath that sounded like she had just taken her first sip of a cool refreshing drink, a drink that stretched her and burned a little. Connor moaned his deep approval of their coupling. Abby sank down onto him fully and then leaned forward, her breasts caressing his chest. She took his face in her hands and kissed him. It was a tender, gentle, languid kiss.

Abby continued to kiss him as she began to move. She circled and twisted her hips against him, rolling into him slowly but firmly. She controlled their pace and kept him still while gradually allowing their pleasure to build bit by bit. Abby kissed his face and then his jaw. Connor obliged her movements by tipping his head back to give her further access. She moved with wet, open-mouthed kissed along the line of his jaw and down his throat. She bit lightly at the juncture of his neck and shoulder and then laved her tongue over the love bite. Their breathy moans grew in pitch and timbre as Abby increased the pace and ground her clit against the base of his shaft. Connor started to buck and she sat up on him, continuing to swivel her hips against him.

She caressed her undulating breasts. "Just watch me, sweetheart. Watch me. I'll make sure you're more than satisfied," she breathed.

Connor took a deep breath and relaxed again. Abby moved with abandon now. Riding him harder and harder, working him faster and faster, driving them both to release.

Abby crested first the rhythmic pulsing and rippling of her muscles were enough to pull Connor over the crest with her. She continued to roll her hips against him and, letting the smaller waves continue to course through them both accompanied by their gasps and cried of ecstasy.

When the high began to subside, Abby slid to Connor's side. She kissed his shoulder, just above his cast.

"I love you, Connor Temple. Don't ever forget that."

"Love you too," he replied sleepily.

Abby smiled, she loved how dopey he always got post coitus. She snuggled against his chest and threw her leg over his cast. Falling asleep just behind Connor.

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!

*10 Months Later, Christmas Morning*

Abby cooed at baby Nicholas. He'd been born two months prior and was a healthy, chubby and happy baby.

Connor passed her a small, neatly wrapped box while she balanced the boy on her knee.

"You want to help mummy unwrap her gift?" she asked the infant. The little boy watched his mum with rapt attention. Abby fumbled with the package and nearly dropped it twice before Connor slipped in beside her on the couch and eased Nick out of her arms.

"Come to daddy." Connor's arm and leg had healed perfectly with only minimal scarring. They were his 'battle scars' he liked to boast to the guys at work. Neither Abby nor him had been out in the field since that last encounter with the future predators. They didn't miss it.

He wrapped his free arm around Abby and watched her get the paper off the box and open the lid. Inside was a set of three hand-etched ornaments. They weren't all that impressive to look at, but Abby's heart melted at the inscriptions that Connor had etched into each of the items. The first one, crystal encased in a sliver lining, stated, Nicholas Connor Temple's First Christmas 2011.

Connor smiled as the delight at what he'd made spread across her face. The next one said Abby's first Christmas as a mum 2011. And the last was similar, Connor's first Christmas as a dad 2011.

"Oh, Connor, they're perfect," Abby gushed. She immediately got up and found spots for the three ornaments on the tree.

"And you know, I can add to it if we have more." Abby smiled at the clear hope in his voice.

"You want to have more?"

He glanced down at the baby boy on his lap, his eyes shinning brightly. "Absolutely. Everything is so perfect with him around, who wouldn't want more. I mean, I know it's hard and it's a lot of work, more than I ever thought it would be. But, it's also the most satisfying thing I've ever been a part of. Baby Nick cooed loudly at the sound of his father's voice.

Abby's heart melted and glee filled her. I completely agree. She picked up the little box that she had wrapped for him. Connor passed her their son and took the box from her.

Abby rocked Nicholas as Connor tore open the package like a little kid. He pulled the lid off with a flourish and Abby watched closely as his face fell slightly in confusion. He reached into the box and pulled out a little plastic stick with a small window in it that revealed a little pink plus sign.

"Abby?"

"Merry Christmas, Connor. You better start working on next year's ornament. I was thinking Sarah…"

The End.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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><p><strong>Ok, so... did you enjoy it? If so, please take just a moment, hit review and let me know what you think. Thanks. :-D<strong>


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